Passenger seat with tip-up seat mounted on the rear side of the backrest

ABSTRACT

A passenger seat for a conveyance, comprising a frame ( 2 ), which is fixed to a floor ( 3 ) of the conveyance ( 20 ), and a backrest ( 5 ), which is connected to the frame ( 2 ). On the rear of the backrest ( 5 ) is mounted a folding seat ( 7 ), which has a sitting portion ( 10 ), and which is mounted on the backrest ( 5 ), thus enabling the folding seat ( 7 ) to be tilted about a first axis of rotation ( 8 ) between a folded up position and a folded down position. The folding seat ( 7 ) has a frist eccentric portion ( 11 ), which is eccentric relative to the first axis of rotation ( 8 ). The frame ( 2 ) has a second eccentric portion ( 12 ) which is eccentric relative to a second axis of rotation ( 6 ). The backrest ( 5 ) is mounted on the frame ( 2 ), thus enabling it to be tilted about the second axis of rotation ( 6 ) between a rear position and a front position. The passenger seat ( 1 ) comprises a rod ( 15 ), whose end portions are hinged to the first eccentric portion ( 11 ) and the second eccentric portion ( 12 ) respectively.

The invention relates to a passenger seat for a conveyance as indicatedin the preamble of claim 1.

From U.S. Pat. No. 3,951,450 a passenger seat of the above-mentionedtype is known. The folding seat of this passenger seat, however, has tobe gripped and pivoted manually between the folded up position and thefolded down position, the backrest hereby remaining in a positionwherein it projects upwards and backwards considered in relation to theheight and longitudinal positions respectively for a seat of thepassenger seat. For this reason a separate, second backrest also has tobe provided for the person sitting on the folding seat. This separatebackrest is hinged to the passenger seat's backrest and has to begripped and pivoted in order to extend upwards and forwards relative tothe folding seat. This passenger seat is therefore cumbersome to operateand requires two hands for the operation.

Furthermore, from EP 770 516, e.g., it is known that a backrest of apassenger seat can be tilted relative to a seat of the passenger seat.

If several passenger seats are arranged behind one another in a row in avehicle, e.g. as in a bus, a person in a second passenger seatimmediately behind the passenger seat that contains the folding seatcannot sit near the person sitting on the folding seat even though thelatter is a small child, since there is so little space between the twopassenger seats.

The object of the invention is to provide a passenger seat, which has asimple construction and which is not encumbered by the above-mentioneddrawbacks.

The characteristic of the passenger seat according to the invention willbe apparent from the characterising features indicated in the claims.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference tothe drawing, which schematically illustrates two embodiments of apassenger seat according to the invention.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a first embodiment of the passenger seat, wherea backrest thereof is located in a rear position, and components of thepassenger seat have been removed.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the passenger seat illustrated in FIG. 1, wherethe backrest is located in a position, wherein it has been tiltedslightly forward from the rear position.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the passenger seat illustrated in FIG. 2, butwhere the backrest has been tilted further forward to a front position.

FIGS. 4–6 are views resembling those illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3respectively, but of a second embodiment of the passenger seat.

FIG. 7 is a view of a folding seat in the direction of the arrow A inFIG. 6.

It should be noted that a direction forward relative to the passengerseat, i.e. a direction forward relative to a person sitting therein, isindicated by the arrows F, this direction also indicating a longitudinaldirection for the passenger seat. It should also be noted that thedirection “up” with reference to the figures corresponds to thedirection towards the edge of the pages facing away from the reader.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, a passenger seat according to the inventioncomprises a frame 2, which is fixed to a floor 3 of a passengerconveyance 20 of any type, such as a car, bus, train, boat, plane or thelike. The passenger seat has a backrest 5, which is connected to theframe 2, thus enabling the backrest 5 to be tilted about a second axisor rotation 6 between a rear position as illustrated in FIG. 1 and afront position as illustrated in FIG. 3.

On the rear of the backrest 4 is mounted a folding seat or tip-up seat7, which is connected to the backrest 5, thus enabling the folding seatto tilt about a first axis of rotation 8.

The folding seat 7 is designed in principle as a two-armed lever, with asitting portion 10 and a first eccentric portion 11 located on each sideof the first axis of rotation 8 relative to the sitting portion 10.

In front of the second axis of rotation 6 the frame 2 has a secondeccentric portion 12.

A rod 15 extends substantially along the backrest 5 and has a first endportion 16 via which is rod is connected to the first eccentric portion11 of the folding seat 7, thus enabling the rod 15 to pivot about athird axis of rotation 17. Furthermore, the rod 15 has a second endportion 18, which is connected to the second eccentric portion 12 of theframe 2, thus enabling the rod 15 to pivot about a fourth axis ofrotation 19.

In the position of the passenger seat 1 illustrated in FIG. 1, thefolding seat 7 is folded up and the folding seat's sitting portion 10extends approximately parallel to the rear of the backrest 5 upwardsfrom the first axis of rotation 8.

In the position of the passenger seat illustrated in FIG. 2, thebackrest has been tilted slightly in the anticlockwise direction fromthe position illustrated in FIG. 1. On account of the eccentricconnection of the rod 15 with the frame 2 at the second axis of rotation6 and the folding seat 7 at the first axis of rotation 8, the foldingseat 7 is hereby forcibly tilted about the first axis of rotation 8 inthe clockwise direction in FIG. 1, i.e. slightly folded down from theposition illustrated in FIG. 1. When the backrest 5 has been tilted to afront position as illustrated in FIG. 3, the folding seat 7 has beentilted to its lower position, wherein, e.g. a child can sit on thefolding seat's sitting portion 10, with the child's back supported bythe rear 4 of the backrest 5.

In many conveyances a second passenger seat (not shown) may be placedbehind and close to a first passenger seat and there is room for onlyone person between the passenger seats. If the first passenger seat isdesigned in the same way as the passenger seat according to theinvention, the backrest 5 of the first passenger seat 1 can be tiltedaway from the second passenger seat, thereby enlarging the space betweenthe two passenger seats. The folding seat is simultaneously folded down,thereby enabling an adult to sit on the second passenger seat andthereby keep a closer watch on the child on the folding seat.

FIGS. 4–6 are side views of a second embodiment of the passenger seat.In these figures, components and portions corresponding to componentsand portions in the first embodiment of the passenger seat according toFIGS. 1–3 have been indicated by the same reference numerals with theaddition of an apostrophe. With regard to components, which have beenindicated by reference numerals in FIGS. 4–6, but which are notindicated below, reference should be made to the above description inconnection with FIGS. 1–3 and the corresponding reference numeralswithout apostrophe.

In the second embodiment of the passenger seat 1′, the folding seat 7′is in the form of a one-armed lever. Here, the first eccentric portion11′, the third axis of rotation 17′ and the sitting portion 10′ aretherefore arranged on the same side of and behind the first axis ofrotation 8′. Furthermore, the second eccentric portion 12′ and thefourth axis of rotation 19′ are arranged behind the second axis ofrotation 6′. The function and operation of the second embodiment of thepassenger seat correspond to the function and operation of the firstembodiment.

FIG. 7 illustrates the folding seat 7′ viewed in the direction of thearrow A in FIG. 6. The folding seat 7′ preferably comprises two sidemembers 21,22 extending in a plane that is perpendicular to the axes ofrotation 8′, 17′ and at respective sides of the backrest 5′. Between theside members on the sitting portion 10′ an upholstered seat 23, e.g.,may be provided. Similarly, rods 15′ may be hinged to each side member21,22. The folding seat 7 according to the first embodiment may bedesigned in a similar manner.

The passenger seat 1,1′ preferably has a known per se locking mechanism,whereby the backrest 5,5′ can be locked to the frame 2,2′ when thebackrest 5,5′ is located in the rear and the front position, but isreleased with the backrest requires to be tilted from the front positionto the rear position and vice versa. A locking mechanism of this kindmay preferably be provided at the upper portion of the backrest, thusenabling, for example, an adult carrying a small child in one arm torelease the backrest 5,5′ with only the hand of her other arm and tiltthe backrest 5,5′, e.g. from the rear to the front position beforelocking the backrest in this position.

1. A passenger seat for a conveyance, where the passenger seat (1,1′)comprises a frame (2,2′), which is fixed to a floor (3,3′) of theconveyance (20), a backrest (5,5′), which is connected to the frame(2,2′), a folding seat (7,7′), which has a sitting portion (10,10′), andwhich is mounted on the rear side (4) of the backrest (5,5′), where thefolding seat is mounted on the backrest (5,5′), thus enabling thefolding seat (7,7′) to be tilted about a first axis of rotation (8,8′)between a folded up position and a folded down position, wherein thesitting portion (10,10′) projects backwards, away from the rear of thebackrest (5,5′), the backrest (5,5′) is mounted on the frame (2,2′) suchthat the backrest (5,5′) is tiltable about a second axis of rotation(6,6′) between a rear position and a front position considered in alongitudinal direction of the passenger seat (1,1′), the folding seat(7,7′) has a first eccentric portion (11,11′), which is eccentricrelative to the first axis of rotation (8,8′), the frame (2,2′) has asecond eccentric portion (12,12′), which is eccentric relative to thesecond axis of rotation (6,6′), wherein the passenger seat (1,1′)comprises a rod (15,15′), whose end portions (16,18;16′,18′) areconnected to the first eccentric portion (11,11′) and the secondeccentric portion (12,12′) respectively in such that first eccentricportion (11, 11′) rotates on rod (15, 15′) at a third axis of rotation(17, 17′) as the folding seat (7, 7′) is lowered to its folded downposition, and the rod (15,15′) is rotatable about a fourth axis ofrotation (19, 19′) and that the folding seat (7,7′) is movable from thefolded up position to the folded down position when the backrest (5,5′)is moved from the rear position to the front position and vice versa. 2.A passenger seat according to claim 1, wherein the folding seat (7) isin the form of a two-armed lever, and that the first eccentric portion(11) and the sitting portion (10) are located on each side of the firstaxis of rotation (8).
 3. A passenger seat according to claim 2, whereinthe second eccentric portion (12) is located in front of the second axisof rotation (6).
 4. A passenger seat according to claim 1, wherein thefolding seat (7′) is in the form of a one-armed lever, and that thefirst eccentric portion (11′) and the sifting portion (10′) are locatedon the same side of the first axis of rotation (8′).
 5. A passenger seataccording to claim 4, wherein the second eccentric portion (12′) islocated behind the second axis of rotation (6).